Reel driving method for tape recorder and a driving mechanism for its practice

Abstract

Disclosed is a reel driving method for a tape recorder wherein a rotatable idler is caused to engage a desired one of a pair of reel shafts by rocking a rockable support lever to drive the desired reel shaft, the idler being mounted on the support lever so that the rotatory force of a capstan shaft is transmitted to the idler. A pair of such idlers are disposed on both sides of the rocking center of the support lever so that the support lever rocks around the rocking center correspondingly to the rotating direction of the capstan shaft, which can be reversed in rotation, thereby causing one of the pair of idlers to engage the desired reel shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A reel driving method for a tape recorder which has a pair of reel shafts and a capstan shaft arranged for reversible rotation, comprising the steps of: providing a pair of idlers each with idler shafts on both sides of a rocking center of a rockable support lever;   arranging the pair of idlers to be driven by the capstan shaft;   fixing a flywheel to the capstan shaft and arranging the flywheel to frictionally contact a lower end or side face of each of the idler shafts; and   rocking the support lever around the rocking center thereof correspondingly to the rotating direction of the capstan shaft by the frictional force between the flywheel and the idler shafts, thereby causing one of the idlers to engage a corresponding reel shaft.   
     
     
       2. A reel driving mechanism for a tape recorder including a pair of reel shafts and a capstan shaft which can be reversed in rotation, comprising: a flywheel fixed coaxially to the capstan shaft,   a rockable support lever arranged over the flywheel for rocking movement about a rocking center of the support lever, and   a pair of idlers provided on the support lever on both sides of the rocking center of the support lever and engaging the capstan shaft to be driven by the capstan shaft, wherein each of the idlers is arranged to selectively engage a corresponding one of said reel shafts, each of the idlers including an idler shaft having a lower end or side face arranged for frictional contact with the flywheel, so that the support lever rocks correspondingly to the rotating direction of the capstan shaft by the frictional force between the flywheel and the idler shafts and one of the idlers on the support lever engages the corresponding reel shaft to drive the reel shaft.   
     
     
       3. A reel driving mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the surface of said flywheel which faces said idlers has an annular groove coaxial with the flywheel, and the lower end of each idler shaft is in contact with the bottom of said annular groove. 
     
     
       4. A reel driving mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the surface of said flywheel which faces said idlers has an annular groove coaxial with the flywheel, and the side face of each idler shaft is in contact with the outer side wall of said annular groove. 
     
     
       5. A reel driving mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the surface of said flywheel which faces said idlers has an annular groove coaxial with the flywheel, and the lower end and side face of each idler shaft are in contact with the bottom and outer side wall of said annular groove, respectively. 
     
     
       6. A reel driving mechanism according to any one of claims 3, 4, 5 or 2, including an external reel gear fitted coaxially to each of said reel shafts, and wherein each idler is an idler gear arranged to be in mesh with said reel gear.